Reviews (36)

Great story, Great man
This was a great read whether you're a Pirates and/or Clemente fan or not. You walk away from it truly appreciating the game, Roberto and his charitable side.

A Career and Life Beyond the Statistics
I have always been an admirer of Roberto Clemente. During his career he stood out because of his high batting averages in a period of pitcher dominance and legendary throwing arm. Watching his performance on television in the 1971 World Series sealed the deal for me. That World Series was one of the most entertaining of my life (I am not a Pirates fan) and his heroics were largely responsible. He really did seem to almost single-handedly lead the Pirates to victory over the favored Orioles, not withstanding the significant, if not vital, contributions of other Pirates such as Steve Blass (especially), Bob Robertson, and Bruce Kison. Although Clemente had a reputation for being a hypochondriac and difficult with the press earlier in his career, by this time he was universally admired and grouped with baseball's elite. Clemente, by David Maraniss, tells the story of how this came about. Starting with Clemente's boyhood in Puerto Rico, Maraniss chronicles his life and times. Besides describing his journey as a Hall of Fame ballplayer and development as a bona fide role model, Maraniss also presents a portrait of the era. Adding to the tragedy of Clemente's early death is that he could have had as equally a rewarding life after baseball as a public figure, philantropist and possibly a politcian.I learned a lot about baseball in Puerto Rico and the difficulties and discrimination Clemente faced as a black man coming into a foreign culture. The book is a reminder that bigotry did not stop in organized baseball with the advent of Jackie Robinson. For those interested in baseball history, the book contains an interesting profile of the World Champion 1960 Pittsburg Pirates and the city of Pittsburg in the fifties through the early seventies. The 1971 World Championship then served as Clemente's coronation into the baseball pantheon. Whether Clemente was truly one of the greatest of all time is open to debate. My opinion is that while he was a solid Hall of Famer, Clemente was a level below such players as Mays, Aaron, and Mantle. The stats simply do place him at their level. I understand that there is more to baseball than the statistics. At one point Maraniss acknowledges Clemente's statistical weaknesses, but he points that his greatness, like an artist, cannot be measured. I agree with him that there is more to rating a player than raw statistics. However, the same can be said for the three players mentioned above and many others. In my opinion, Clemente was a great player, but does not deserve the canonization that some call for to this day. However, as a man, Clemente should be judged on more than statistics when reviewing his life. I will conclude by saying he led a good life, made a positive and lasting impact on the world, and provided me (and many others) with many thrills and chills on the baseball field.

Baseball even if your don't know the game
I am not a sports fan so I don't follow any of the happenings in those fields.Therefore, I was not sure that I would enjoy CLEMENTE but listened to it anyway.What I am is a Curious Kitty meaning that I like to know about people and their lives.This book is that type of story.
Read more

Subjects:  1. 1934-1972    2. Baseball    3. Baseball - History    4. Baseball players    5. Biography    6. Biography & Autobiography    7. Biography / Autobiography    8. Biography And Autobiography    9. Biography/Autobiography    10. Clemente, Roberto,    11. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    12. Puerto Rico    13. Sports - Baseball    14. Sports - General    15. Biography & Autobiography / Sports   

Reviews (25)

The Devils Highway
Not being a avid reader ,if a book doesn't interest me in the first few pages I put it away. This certainly was not such a book. Written by a Mexican American I expected the story to be slanted toward anti immigration only to find a balanced view of the Border situation from the prospective of those desperate to make a better life for their familys, to the Border Patrol and the almost impossible job before them. Two things that stand out are the compassion of the Border Patrol and how the immigrants are so often preyed upon by their own people. A must read before making a judgement about our border situation and the people who live {and die} there.

Misplaced Sympathy for an Invading Army
It seems like this book has appeal for the come one, come all immigration proponents and multiculturalism fanatics.I take no joy in hearing the stories of human suffering, whether it be south of the border or elsewhere, but there is a heavy cost for allowing millions of mexicans into America.Many locales with large illegal immigrant populations have seen a sharp increase in violent crime and gang activity.
He may as well have been...
Jonathan Miles of MEN'S JOURNAL wrote this of Urrea's sublime tribute to the immigrant's journey, "A tour de force account of an adventure unlike the ones you're used to reading."And it's true.What makes THE DEVIL'S HIGHWAY shine is Urrea's ability to lend his novelist's eye to a story more true than most of us would like to imagine.For whatever side you hold in the Border debate, Urrea will make you believe in the people who walk. Even if he doesn't pull you toward empathy for those taking this journey, he will at least illuminate for you what happens to a group of men who feel like crossing the infamous Devil's Highway is the only option.From their first step into the desert to their rescue just short of the U.S. border, you will not want to put this book down.Urrea takes the magnifying glass that is the Border Control Issue and focuses that hot sun down to a small group later called the Wellton 26.Literally. Every step through this Pulitzer Prized Finalist will force you onto the desert with these men : walking with these men, following with these men, thirsting with these men, and dying with these men. Urrea has made me want to keep going.Luckily, in the rear of the book, he's given me more with suggested readings to further my lusty desire to ingest all I can about this issue. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crimes against    2. Emigration & Immigration    3. Emigration And Immigration    4. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. Hispanic American Sociology    7. Human smuggling    8. Illegal aliens    9. Mexican-American Border Region    10. Social Science    11. Social conditions    12. Sociology    13. True Crime    14. Crime & criminology    15. Current Events / General    16. Immigration & emigration    17. Mexico    18. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    19. USA   

Reviews (172)

Living The Truth
Louis Rodriquez writes the truth! I know I lived in the Lomas during the time Louis writes about being in Garvey school and at Mark Keppel. I lived in Lomas from 1959 to 1972. Fortunately, I survived the madness in Lomas. This was our life as we knew it, the gangs, drugs, girls and of course the parties. It brings back memories of our life in the barrio L's...

I read it, re-lived it and loved it!
Well written book by one of my favorite Authors.Louis is an awesome person who is committed to his work and community.Book can be used for anyone looking for a real life reference to the history of Chicano/a Gangs in Southern California.I read it, re-lived it and loved it!

Always Challanging
Many young people face the same perils Luis Rodriguez shares in this auto biographical coming-of-age story; some overcome these challanges, while others succumb. But, how many rise as far above them as Rodriguez has?
Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. California    6. Criminals & Outlaws    7. Ethnic Cultures - General    8. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    9. Gangs    10. General    11. Hispanic Americans In The U.S.    12. Los Angeles    13. Mexican American youth    14. Personal Memoirs    15. Sociology Of Youth    16. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (107)

A passionating story
The life of the young Esmeralda Santiago is interesting, well-written and full of colored details.

Loved this book!
My husband is Puerto Rican (I am not) and read this book years ago. He said that it reminded him of a combination of his mom and grandmother's childhoods. He lent it to his sister, mom and grandmother to read (they all loved it) and eventually to me. I just couldn't get enough of it. Then my mother-in-law lent us "Almost A Woman", which I just finished. Esmeralda Santiago is an amazing writer with a great story.

Dripping with Delight; A Guava Worth Picking!
Bursting with vividly vibrant details, Esmeralda Santiago's autobiography, When I was Puerto Rican will inspire all ages of readers. Santiago's story is captivating and refreshingly presented.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Childhood and youth    6. Ethnic Cultures - General    7. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    8. General    9. New York    10. New York (State)    11. Puerto Ricans    12. Puerto Rico    13. Santiago, Esmeralda    14. Women    15. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs    16. Biography: general    17. Ethnic studies    18. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (12)

Beautiful Writing; Offensive, Racist Material
The majority of this book (at least the essays anyway) can be summed up in three main topics: educating readers about her culture, praising her culture to the point of absurdity, and claiming the entire white culture to be both ignorant and racist.
an excruciatingly painful read - only do so if you must
This book is a tormented stream of consciousness from a lady who was obviously fighting major demons.It is exactly the type of book that you would expect an amateur academic to "wow" and "gush" over.The discerning reader, on the other hand, sees page after page of outdated cliches, sob-stories, and anger-filled tantrums.Anzaldua would like you to believe that this is all the fault of the "white" culture messing with the enlightened cosmic race of the mestiza.She'd like you to think that her mestiza/chicana/lesbian/female status completely determined her status in life.The truth is that Gloria was really ugly, and that, more than anything else, made her the bitter, annoying pseudo-intellectual that the was.

Racist Garbage
While most reviewers seem to be bent on lauding Gloria Anzaldúa's "insightful and progressive" writings, I can't help but take a different viewpoint.The vast majority of her essays, while cloaked in a sense of righteous equality, are quite simply racist drivel.She speaks of acceptance and tolerance for foreign cultures in America, and harps on the evils of correcting students when they use improper English, yet instills her writing with a blatant and offensive racism.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Bilingual books    2. Civilization    3. English-Spanish    4. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    5. Europe - Spain & Portugal    6. Foreign Language Study    7. General    8. Mexican American women    9. Mexican-American Border Region    10. Poetry    11. Sociology    12. Spanish    13. Spanish: Adult Nonfiction    14. Women's Studies - General    15. Cultural studies    16. Fiction / General    17. Portugal    18. Spain    19. Women's studies   

Reviews (14)

Not racism, hate or zenophobia.Just the facts.
This book talks about the reality of the status of immigration in our Country.It is a great read and I recommend it to anyone concerned about the state of affairs in our Country today.
Well written, racist and xenophobic book.
Ok, the author is an scholar, and after teaching and working in a university environment, he knows how to structure his sentences and chapters to communicate his message.
Mexifornia :A State of Becoming
Hanson brings a rare and timely perspective to his analysis of the immigration explosion we are now experiencing. He views this difficult and challenging subject through the eyes of a highly respected historian, a member of academia and as a multiple generation resident in a highly affected area. No matter where you might stand on the issue, I suggest that he will present facts which are likely to modify your current viewpoint. This is a most informative and thorough presentation and is a must read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Emigration & Immigration    2. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    3. International Relations - General    4. Political Science    5. Politics/International Relations    6. Sociology    7. United States - State & Local - West    8. History / General    9. Local history    10. Mexico   

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Encyclopedias    3. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    4. Hispanic American women    5. Reference    6. Sociology    7. Women's Studies - History    8. American studies    9. Latin America    10. Social & cultural anthropology    11. USA   

Reviews (1)

Finally!An authentic guide to Latin New York.
For anyone who wants to discover all that Latin New York has to offer, this is the book for you.Loved it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    2. Guidebooks    3. Intellectual life    4. New York (N.Y.)    5. Social life and customs    6. Travel    7. Travel - United States    8. United States - Mid Atlantic - New York City    9. United States - Northeast - Middle Atlantic (General)    10. Travel / United States / Northeast / Middle Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA)   

Reviews (1)

Important addition to the literature on street organizations
Few books are currently available on street organizations (commonly referred to by sociologists, anthropologists and criminologists as "gangs") that present both an insider perspective and outsider analysis, and place these social formations into the context of both the contemporary and historical variables that cause their formation, and direct their transformation into radical political organizations.Read more

Subjects:  1. Almighty Latin King and Queen    2. Case studies    3. Criminology    4. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    5. Gangs    6. Hispanic American youth    7. History    8. Literary Criticism    9. New York    10. New York (State)    11. Social conditions    12. Sociology    13. Sociology - Urban    14. Adolescents    15. Organized crime    16. Social Science / Sociology / General    17. USA   

Reviews (12)

A beautifully written book
This is a heartfelt book; I can't think of another book that spells out the bicultural life so clearly. Arana has cut a new path here. This is not so much about being Hispanic American as being a new and different kind of American: split, with differing loyalties, and with all kinds of doubts along the way.
Spanish deserves as much respect as English
As a native Spanish speaker and ESL/bilingual education
APretentious Family Memoir
My wife grew up in Ecuador and moved to the United States 8 years ago, at age 31. I am always interested in better understanding her cross-cultural transition and that's why I picked up "American Chica". But actually this book is more of a family memoir, describing the difficult marriage of Arana's parents. The majority of the book is about her early childhood years growing up in Peru with her father's aristocratic family. The last couple of chapters do recount her family's move to New Jersey. But, while her father was miserable living the "gringo" lifestyle, Marie and her siblings appeared to make the transition quite easily - as children often do - despite facing racism as the only latino kids in their school system.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Ethnic Cultures - General    6. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    7. Hispanic American journalists    8. Journalists    9. United States    10. Women    11. Biography & Autobiography / Women   

Reviews (83)

Please take the time to read this; it ought to scare the pants off you!
We know Dick Lamm as the former Governor of Colorado. In that context his thoughts are particularly poignant. Last week there was an immigration overpopulation conference in Washington, DC, filled to capacity by many of America's finest minds and leaders. A brilliant college professor by the name of Victor Hansen Davis talked about his latest book, "Mexifornia," explaining how immigration - both legal and illegal was destroying the entire state of California. He said it would march across the country until it destroyed all vestiges of The American Dream.
Mexifornia
Great service, delivered per agreement. Book tends to be a bit heavy and not sure of what the direction. I feel that the whole book could be condensed into a single chapter. Has a lot of 'fill' which adds nothing to the content. It does have some good facts that would be a lot more meaningful if organized and put into the single chapter.

Arrogance and Hubris Abound
Though I agree with many of Hanson's points he blows his credibility by the following statement on page 31: "And Mexico is Catholic, America mostly Protestant or secular. The former believes fate is set at birth, the latter that man earns his condition mostly here on earth." If that isn't the most inane statement from a teacher of classics I don't know what is. If he really believes that the classical curriculum at Fresno State needs a second look. Catholicism teaches nothing of the sort and most educated Catholics know that. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. California    2. Emigration & Immigration    3. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    4. Government policy    5. History    6. History: World    7. Immigrants    8. Mexican Americans    9. Social conditions    10. Sociology    11. United States - State & Local - General    12. United States - State & Local - West    13. American history    14. History / General    15. Local history    16. USA    17. World history   

Subjects:  1. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    2. Hispanic Americans    3. Intellectual life    4. Minority Studies - Ethnic American    5. Politics and government    6. Public Policy - Social Policy    7. Social Science    8. Social conditions    9. Sociology    10. Sociology - General    11. United States    12. Cultural studies    13. Ethnic studies    14. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    15. Political Science / Social Policy    16. USA   

Reviews (34)

Bullsh*t
This guy is full of it and full of himself. Wants to sound sooooooooooooooooo educated. Comes off sounding like a pretentious overcompensating guy with a real inferiority complex. Obviously has not come to a point of self-acceptance. It is a pity.I got the book in hopes of finding some help with my own Mexican-American son's struggles to fit in to either the Mexican or the "white" sides of his heritage. This book is NOT one I will leave around for him to read. I wonder how he got published.

Brown
Brown is an interesting read and by no means is it an easy read.Rodriguez alludes to many different things, so a reader, such as myself, may not always be able to pick up on these allusions.This is a story, rather a collection of stories that highlights race, ethnicity, and identity in American culture.This is a dense read, not a quick and easy read.At first, I did not understand many of the things Rodriguez was saying, but as I progressed farther in the book, his writing became much more clear and understandable to me.In the end, I cannot say that I enjoyed the book but that I did find it an interesting read and worth my time.

Feel free to step back and let some of it slide by
"Brown" is really a collection of disparate essays and personal musings that make no effort to come together at the end in any sort of traditional conclusion or overriding point. Not surprisingly the only truly linking theme is this idea, this social construction of "Brown," the book being simply a transcription of the world through the eyes of a man that has been brown his entire 50 or so years. While some find this style of writing important to the messsage of the book I find it confusing and often tiring ot read.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Ethnic Sociology    4. General    5. History - General History    6. People of Color    7. Social Science / Ethnic Studies / Hispanic American Studies   

Reviews (2)

THIS IS A RIPOFF
This book has been ripped off from the true author!The editor put it under her name, but it's obvious I wrote it...see earlier editions available on amazon.com Very comprehensive and accurate
I love this book.It will introduce you to the real, homemade language of the Mexican people.Have you studied Spanish for ages, yet when you hear young Mexicans talking to each other on the street you have no idea what they're talking about?Well, it's probably because you aren't familiar with the Mexican slang, which is real important in understanding everyday Mexican speech.This book shows you how Mexicans actually speak.It's got all of the most frequently heard words and phrases like "guey," "chingon," and "canton".It omits some common slang like "No manches" and "orale" but other than that I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    2. General    3. Glossaries, vocabularies, etc    4. Graffiti    5. Mexico    6. Reference    7. Slang    8. Sociology    9. Spanish language   

Reviews (2)

Engaging: You Will Finish This Gripping Memoir Quicker than You Received It
Years ago Rigoberto Gonzalez did a reading at the University of California, Riverside, his alma mater and the approximate locale where he met the "older lover" who abused him. Someone in the audience asked him why he felt he could write a memoir so young? Rigoberto, then in his early thirties, answered, "Because I write about another time that is no longer my life."
Memoir travels maze of sex, family and self-acceptance
What makes a writer?
Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Authors, American    3. Biography    4. Ethnic Issues    5. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    6. Gay Studies    7. Hispanic American gays    8. People of Color    9. Personal Memoirs    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. Biography: general    13. Gay studies (Gay men)    14. New Mexico    15. Social Science / Ethnic Studies / Hispanic American Studies   

Subjects:  1. Acting    2. Acting & Auditioning    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Actors & Actresses    6. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    7. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    8. Performing Arts (General)    9. Spanish: Adult Nonfiction   

Reviews (6)

Comprehensive and informative
This is a very comprehensive and informative book on the origins of the Latino market with a lot of data backing up the research. If you want statistics and history-if you want to know how to grow your business in the US Hispanic market, you might want to try another book on marketing.

Serious About Business, Then This Is A Must Have
I hope that serious business people will have the insight and ability to forsee what the US will look like in the years to come. Those that don't or are to arrogant to do so will be left behind. This book is the Blueprint.

Worth reading!
The title of this book grabbed my attention. Skeptically, I thought, "How can a 232-page book tell me everything I need to grow my company in a market worth about $780 billion today?"
Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Consumer Behavior - General    5. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    6. Hispanic American consumers    7. Hispanic Americans    8. Hispanic Americans In The U.S.    9. Marketing    10. Marketing - Research    11. Population    12. Target marketing    13. United States    14. Business & Economics / Marketing / Research   

Reviews (1)

Perfect introductory text for working with Latinos!
Drs. Santiago-Rivera, Arredondo, and Gallardo-Cooper have produced a very handy guide to working with Latinos.These well-respected Latina psychologists focus their chapters on practical guidelines useful for any clinician or student in training.The book covers issues with Latinos in both broad and specific ways, including ethnicity-specific information on Latino subgroups where relevant, but also providing general information helpful with Latino clients of any background.Chapters focus on multicultural competencies, historical contexts relevant to understanding Latino families, and various counseling interventions.Appendices are offered at the end of the book, including a list of acculturation measures useful with Latinos, a glossary of terms, a culture-centered clinical interview, and bibliotherapy resources.The clinical interview provided is particularly useful for anyone looking for a culturally sensitive tool to use in clinical practice.This book is clearly written and well-organized, so that one may read through it from cover to cover or focus on those chapters most relevant to their work.I highly recommend this book to both novice and seasoned clinicians alike!It is also a great teaching tool. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Counseling of    2. Ethnic Studies - Hispanic American Studies    3. Family relationships    4. General    5. Hispanic American families    6. Hispanic Americans    7. Medical    8. Mental health services    9. Psychology    10. Psychotherapy - Counseling    11. Psychotherapy - Couples & Family    12. Counselling    13. Psychology & Psychiatry / General   

Editorial Review

In solid journalistic prose, the Read more

Reviews (14)

Strangers Among Us Review
As a kid growing up in El Barrio in New York, I witnessed first hand the struggles and impoverished conditions of many Latinos. Mainly Puerto Ricans and Cubans but others as well. Back then it seemed as if there was just no way out of that stagnant exsistense. It never occurred to me that perhaps there were external forces at work to keep us from advancing. Roberto Suro's Book explores the socio-eco-cultural dynamics that have shaped life for the Latinos in the United States. The author takes us thru the different enclaves of Latino neighborhoods and one by one identifies, point by point, many of the elements at play that have affected the growth or lack thereof of the Latino in the U.S. A well written book and highly recommended.
Changing Faces
In the book, Strangers Among Us, the author, Roberto Suro explores several dynamics about Latino Immigration. He reminds us that Latinos vary in nationalities and is the largest growing population migrating into America.This book gives the reader a realistic view of the changing demographics in America and how Latino immigration can positively or negatively shape the future of our country. Suro also thoroughly examines how Latinos are becoming a crucial part of America's struggle with poverty and race.